<Begin Segment 13>

TI: Right, and so while we're on the Quakers, I'm gonna kind of bring us back to your actual marriage, that you got the marriage certificate in Spokane. But later on, you chose to have a Quaker ceremony. Can you talk about...

GH: I got the license.

TI: The license, I'm sorry, the license.

GH: Only the State can give the license.

TI: Right, the license, but not --

GH: And the Quakers have established a procedure bypassing, I mean that, by pointing out that they don't have officially a guy, the preacher, who is the one that handles that part for the State in authenticating a marriage. So they said, "Well, you get somebody," and so it's called registrar, registrar for this meeting, authorized by, recognized by the state as someone to represent the legal aspects on behalf of the Society of Friends. Each meeting can have a registrar. So, and they didn't qualify, they didn't say it has to be a degreed person or this and that, a seminary or what. So we have that person, and he got the certificate and signed by those authorities.

And then at the meeting, we have a worship period, quiet silent worship, just like you have regular Sundays, except this is worship for consummating a marriage process. We have a worship period called a memorial worship period, in remembrance of a friend who died. We have a worship period before we enter a business session -- it's a business meeting, so where they worship with a concern for business, where we have a shorter worship period, usually a half hour or something, and then we move into business item on the grounds that items are not brought out to argue. But we're following our insights, the best insights that we can bring to that and others respond to that. And if they have something to add, add light to the thing, and then when we reach a certain place where we feel we're ready to agree on it, we say, "We'd like a minute on that. I think we're ready to go ahead on that." And then they read the minute, a good, good recorder would pick up the different suggestions that were made, and minutes, things that contributed to that. And so, it's stated differently now, and different components are in there. And they read it, and they say either that we need further, there's something, we need further reflection on that. It may then be referred to another meeting to bring out, or further worship to see what other things develop. But in the end, a time will come when the clerk will say, the chairman, we call it clerk, will say, "This is what we seem to have approached to, are we ready to approve the minute?"

TI: And would they do similar things at a wedding ceremony?

GH: No, this is not a business, so they...

TI: Oh, this is more the business...

GH: ...they meet, they meet in, well their meeting is to bless the decision that was made.

TI: But they wouldn't have the similar discussion in terms of is this a good marriage, and...?

GH: No, no. But somebody could raise that question. You know, if they feel, but there would be opportunity to raise it before the final session. When the meeting approves this license to move ahead, they have to take it up. And if they think there's serious flaws in the plan, what is it? Well they have to bring it out. Then either it's a flaw, or not. That would be clarified. And if there's a flaw, what solution is there? And if they reach a point of feeling that this can go forward, then they say, "Well, what's our minute now?" And that could be read. And, "Are we ready to approve it?"

TI: Well, good.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.